In the early twentieth century, eugenic ideologies and practices drew on genetic theories of the day in efforts to control human reproduction. This provided scientific cover for policy decisions about who should and shouldn't reproduce—decisions largely informed by discriminatory attitudes toward marginalized groups. In the United States, a widespread eugenics movement led to the forced sterilization of tens of thousands of people considered "unfit," to stringent immigration restrictions on undesired populations, and to public policies that encouraged "fitter families" to produce more children.

Eugenic ideas and rhetoric pioneered in the United States were taken up by the Nazis, who used them to justify their extermination of Jews, people with disabilities, and other groups. The Nazi genocides led to an almost complete rejection of eugenic ideas immediately after World War II.

In recent years, a small but disturbing number of scientists, scholars, and others have begun calling for "reconsideration." Some urge the development of inheritable genetic modification (changing the genes passed on to children) and the expanded use of selection technologies such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Some support these technologies as a way to "seize control of human evolution." Others see them as an efficient, rapid means to produce "enhanced" children.

There are still some traditional eugenicists who focus on purported racial and group differences in intelligence and behavior. But many transhumanists and other eugenicists seek to differentiate their high-tech visions from earlier programs. They say that they reject the racism and government coercion that characterized various twentieth century eugenicists, and argue that market dynamics and individual choice will drive twenty-first century eugenics.

The Scope of Eugenics: A Workshopby Jonathan Chernoguz, Biopolitical TimesMay 27th, 2015The four-day workshop, organized by the Edmonton-based Living Archives Project on Eugenics in Western Canada, brought together early-career scholars interested in eugenics to discuss historical models and forms of "Newgenics."

Eugenics Lurk in the Shadow of CRISPRby Robert Pollack, ScienceMay 22nd, 2015This opening to germline modification is, simply put, the opening of a return to the agenda of eugenics: the positive selection of “good” versions of the human genome and the weeding out of “bad” versions.

Prenatal Tests: Oversold and Misunderstoodby George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorDecember 16th, 2014A scathing investigative report on the accuracy of noninvasive prenatal testing is likely to shift the terms of this important conversation.

Breaking from our Eugenic Pastby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesNovember 13th, 2014As the victims of North Carolina's eugenics program finally receive compensation, we should not celebrate "the new eugenics" as some have argued, but learn carefully from this history.

FIXED: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancementby Jonathan Chernoguz, Biopolitical TimesNovember 12th, 2014The documentary produced and directed by Regan Brashear is receiving a new round of well-deserved positive attention around the world.

Could Genomics Revive The Eugenics Movement?by Meredith Salisbury, ForbesNovember 8th, 2014There was a time when people in America were sterilized, sometimes unwittingly, by activists aiming to create a healthier, “better” population. As the progress of genomics accelerates, we need to remember the lessons of the past.

‘Haunted Files': The Dark Side of Progressivismby Naomi Schaefer Riley, New York PostNovember 4th, 2014With funding from the Carnegie Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation, New York's Eugenics Records Office had the financial backing of the most important and “forward thinking” folks of the time.

Eugenics: The Academy's Complicityby Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman, Times Higher EducationOctober 9th, 2014The University of London will face up to its complicity in constructing unjust racial hierarchy, 110 years to the day that the university legitimised Francis Galton's research on eugenics.

Reproducing Raceby Dov Fox, The Huffington PostOctober 6th, 2014It is troubling for donor services to accentuate race in ways that invite parents to exclude wholesale from their consideration all donors of a particular race.

An End to Sterilization Abuses in California Prisonsby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesSeptember 26th, 2014The signing of SB 1135 into California law by Gov. Jerry Brown is an important victory in the fight for the remembrance of our state's eugenic history and its ongoing implications.

North Carolina and Genetics: From Sterilization to Research Subjectsby Victoria Massie, Biopolitical Times guest contributorAugust 7th, 2014In the twentieth century, North Carolina was one of dozens of states that targeted certain citizens for eugenic sterilization. Today, in a town outside Charlotte, biotech researchers are asking for urine and blood samples and offering $10 gift cards to WalMart in exchange.

Lord Winston’s Warningby Gulzaar Barn, Practical EthicsAugust 5th, 2014Winston discusses the history and misuse of gene science and eugenics, and points to the potential resurgence of this way of thinking.

California Set to Prohibit Sterilization of Prisonersby Jonathan Chernoguz, Biopolitical TimesJuly 24th, 2014With the unanimous approval of Senate Bill 1135 in Sacramento last month, the victims of recent unauthorized sterilizations in California prisons, and their advocates, seem likely to win this important victory.

Remembering Nikola Tesla, Eugenicistby Michael Cook, BioEdgeJuly 12th, 2014In 1935 Tesla gave an interview to the American magazine Liberty in which he peered 100 years into the future with his enthusiastic endorsement of eugenics.

The Perfect 46: A “Science Factual” Film about our Near Futureby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJuly 10th, 2014A new science fiction film called “a sort of prequel to Gattaca” highlights the rise and fall of a genetic startup that analyzes people’s genomes to assess their ability to produce disease-free children.

We're Already Designing Babies[With CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Olga Khazan, The AtlanticJuly 3rd, 2014Even today, parents are selecting for the traits they want in their offspring. But how far should the genetic tailoring go?

Wading into Racismby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 6th, 2014A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History has been out for a month, and the fuss, such as it was, seems to be dying down, but the underlying issues remain significant.

Making Babiesby Alexis C. Madrigal, The AtlanticMay 21st, 2014Some guesses about how the future may change what’s involved in making a person—from the ease of getting pregnant, to the mechanics of procreation, to our very definition of family.

Nicholas Wade: Genes, Race and Anthropologyby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 8th, 2014Is Nicholas Wade shocked and horrified that his new book, A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History, is getting support from racists? Really, what did he expect?

When Science Doesn't Have all the Answersby Louise Kinross, BloomMarch 6th, 2014My son’s rare genetic deletion is on the list of disorders identified by microarray analysis of a fetus’s DNA. It makes me sad to think that the lives of children like my son are being targeted for termination. Is this a step forward?

Three-Parent Babies and Eugenicsby Nathaniel Comfort, GenotopiaMarch 6th, 2014The “three-parent baby” is most certainly genetic engineering — it just modifies “cassettes” of genes, if you will, rather than tweaking single genes or nucleotides. It is exactly as eugenic as going through conventional IVF and selecting the traits you want in your offspring.

The New Science Of Three-Parent Babies[With CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Tom Ashbrook, NPR On PointFebruary 26th, 2014Mixing DNA from three people to produce one healthy baby. We’ll look at the controversial world of mitochondrial manipulation therapies to avoid inherited disease.

Genetically Modified Babiesby Marcy Darnovsky, The New York TimesFebruary 23rd, 2014An advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration is set to consider radical biological procedures that, if successful, would produce genetically modified human beings. This is a dangerous step.

Is Genetic Testing Humans Playing God?by Robert Klitzman, CNNFebruary 22nd, 2014Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis allows doctors to test embryos before they are implanted into a woman's womb, to help ensure that certain gene mutations are not passed on. But this procedure is raising myriad complex ethical and social issues.

Old Songs, New Tests, and Expensive Childrenby George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorFebruary 20th, 2014The CEO of AOL justified a restructuring of the company’s 401(K) plan by citing two "distressed babies." This tone-deaf insensitivity was answered by a disapproving choir, but it sadly resembles too many descriptions of the "cost" of people with disabilities.

To Catch a Killer Gene: Sisters Race to Stop Mystery Disease[Quotes CGS's Osagie K. Obasogie]by Tony Dokoupil, NBC NewsFebruary 6th, 2014This story of a family banding together to stop a disease before it cuts a path through society illustrates the promise of genomic medicine, but also the soul-troubling questions that arise when people have a hand in their own evolution.

Building the Better Babyby Craig Klugman, Bioethics.netJanuary 21st, 2014BGI, the Chinese company, is hoping that it will soon be able to offer parents an option like that in GATTACA — choosing the “smartest” embryo.

Google, Tell Me. Is My Son a Genius?by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, New York TimesJanuary 18th, 2014Google searches suggest that American parents are far more likely to want their boys smart and their girls skinny. Among those looking for information on sex selection, there is about a 10 percent preference for boys.

DNA Dreamingby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 13th, 2014A new documentary looks at the Chinese company that styles itself "the world’s largest genomics organization,” and its hunt for the genetic basis of intelligence.

Biopolitical News of the Year 2013by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesDecember 19th, 2013For better and worse, 2013 has been a year in which several related issues familiar to those who follow human biotechnology moved into the wider sphere of public discussion.

Too Much Informationby Amanda Schaffer, MIT Technology ReviewDecember 17th, 2013Advances in non-invasive prenatal screening could collide with the politics of abortion and raise the ugly specter of eugenics. Are there limits to how much data parents should have—or want to have—about their children before birth?

Are Three Parents One Too Many?[Quotes CGS]by Stephen L. Carter, BloombergNovember 27th, 2013The U.K. may soon approve a regulatory proposal that would allow scientists to create a human embryo using the DNA of three individuals. What’s striking is how the many opponents span the political spectrum.

Philanthropy's Original Sinby William A. Schambra, The New AtlantisNovember 15th, 2013For all of philanthropy's wonderful qualities, it's important to understand that the first American foundations were deeply immersed in eugenics — the effort to promote the reproduction of the “fit” and to suppress the reproduction of the “unfit.”

Future Past: Disability, Eugenics, & Brave New Worldsby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesNovember 7th, 2013A public symposium held on November 1 at San Francisco State University provided a rare and important opportunity to engage with the historical and ongoing implications of eugenic ideologies and practices for people with disabilities.

Future Past: Disability, Eugenics, & Brave New Worldsby Jessica CussinsNovember 7th, 2013The public symposium Future Past: Disability, Eugenics, & Brave New Worlds, held on November 1 at San Francisco State University, provided a rare and important opportunity to engage with the history and ongoing implications of eugenic ideologies and practices for people with disabilities.

Advocating Eugenics in the UK Department of Educationby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 24th, 2013Dominic Cummings, a senior adviser to the UK Secretary of State for Education, recently provoked a flurry of complaints about his technocratic, effectively eugenic, definitely gene-focused approach to public policy.

23andMe Says It's Not (Now) in the Designer Baby Businessby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 4th, 2013The direct-to-consumer genetic testing company was awarded a patent for "gamete donor selection based on genetic calculations," but now says it has no intention of using the technology.

[VIDEO] Debating Embryonic Genetic Testing[With CGS Advisory Board member Francine Coeytaux]The DoctorsOctober 1st, 2013New genetic tests, including Next Generation Sequencing, can radically improve the odds of a healthy, full term pregnancy … but where do we draw the line? Hear more from The Doctors.

Gendercide in the CaucasusThe EconomistSeptember 21st, 2013The practice of aborting female foetuses is found mostly in China and other Asian countries. But it is prevalent in the Caucasus, too. Two new studies look at why—and suggest the practice may spread.

Involuntary Sterilization Then and Nowby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesAugust 28th, 2013North Carolina will be the first US state to offer compensation to victims of state-sponsored forced sterilization programs. The decision marks a milestone in the long struggle for recognition of this tragic history, but what about the questionable sterilizations still taking place today?

Is Eugenics Ever Okay?by Nathaniel Comfort, GenotopiaJuly 26th, 2013Recognizing that we are grasping the reins of human evolution as fast as we can raises two sets of concerns. First, “What if it doesn’t work?” Second, "What if it does?"

The Gene For Hubrisby Nathaniel Comfort, GenotopiaJuly 10th, 2013Genetics and reproduction are intensely potent, and wherever we find abuse of power we should be alert to the harnessing of biology in the service of tyranny.

Illegal Sterilizations in Modern California Jailsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 10th, 2013The Center for Investigative Reporting has published a detailed exposé of unauthorized sterilizations of unwilling women in California jails from 2006 to 2010, and probably before, bringing the issue to national attention.

Eight Misconceptions about “Three-Parent Babies”by Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJuly 9th, 2013Amid the talk about “mitochondria replacement” or “three-parent babies," here are the top misconceptions proliferating about the efficacy, safety, public support, and societal implications.

The Rise of a New Eugenicsby Lloyd Lewis and Julie Reiskin, Denver PostJuly 4th, 2013Non-invasive prenatal testing technology is dangerously ahead of society's understanding of people who have Down syndrome.

Prenatal DNA Sequencingby Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology ReviewApril 23rd, 2013Reading the DNA of fetuses is the next frontier of the genome revolution. Do you really want to know the genetic destiny of your unborn child?

Experiments with Inheritable Genetic Modificationby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesMarch 13th, 2013A developmental biologist looks carefully at research on mitochondria replacement that would be an experimental form of human inheritable genetic modification.

Meet the New Eugenics, Same as the Old Eugenicsby Gina Maranto, Biopolitical Times guest contributor, Biopolitical TimesMarch 4th, 2013According to a new wave of eugenic advocacy, “we” have a “moral obligation” to enhance future generations.

Yes, Virginia, Your Reproductive Rights Are Compromised by Alex Stern, Huffington PostFebruary 12th, 2013In Virginia as in many other states, legislative battles about reproductive rights are front and center. One pending bill proposes reparations for victims of the state's eugenic sterilization policy; the other seeks to end the 30-day waiting period for sterilization.

Gene-ism and Mass Murderby Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 22nd, 2013Proposals to analyze the genes of a mass murderer have rightly drawn criticism from experts, including the editors of Nature.

Brave New Cells?by Donna Dickenson, Project SyndicateDecember 29th, 2012Supporters of mitochondria replacement neglect a crucial factor in the debate: the techniques being developed involve permanent genetic alterations passed on to future generations.

Seeking Answers in Genome of Gunmanby Gina Kolata, New York TimesDecember 24th, 2012In a move likely to renew a longstanding ethical controversy, geneticists are quietly making plans to study the DNA of the man who killed 20 children and seven adults in Newtown, Connecticut.

Why China is a Genetic Powerhouse with a Problem [Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Carolyn Abraham and Carolynne Wheeler, The Globe and MailDecember 15th, 2012Worry mounts that Beijing Genomics Institute, an enterprise backed in part with bank loans supported by the Chinese government, has unfettered access to the genetic building blocks of humanity.

Selecting Against Disease[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Urmila Ramakrishnan, Fin MagazineNovember 26th, 2012Although we may not have control over the end of the world, genetic counseling and selection will give us power to manipulate the quality and extent of individual lives.

Anatomy of a Webpage, Part 3: Selling “Peace of Mind”by George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorNovember 13th, 2012New developments in prenatal tests are triggering aggressive - and often misleading - marketing. Thankfully, there are signs of push-back from a society that is learning that people are more than their syndromes.

Anatomy of a Webpage, Part 2: Preconception Servicesby George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorOctober 17th, 2012People living with genetic diseases become medicalized abstractions of risk and defect in the slick marketing of fetal gene tests. More than a matter of semantics, such simplification has negative consequences for all.

Anatomy of a Webpage: Marketing Fetal Gene Tests and Sequenom’s MaterniT21by George Estreich, Biopolitical Times guest contributorSeptember 24th, 2012In the age of genomics, whole-chromosome conditions are only the beginning. Our ability to sample fetal DNA from maternal blood means that not only Down syndrome, but before long any condition with a genetic component, any “risk,” can be forecast.

"Tainted Families" Ancient and Modernby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 11th, 2012Paul Lombardo has well summarized the use of the "Jukes family" myth to promote eugenics, in the 19th, 20th and now 21st century.

Survival of the Fastest?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJuly 10th, 2012Michael Johnson, the legendary athlete, recently made global headlines for suggesting that black American and Caribbean sprinters have a "superior athletic gene."

Genome Test Slammed for Assessing ‘Racial Purity’by Alison Abbott, NatureJune 12th, 2012Hungary’s Medical Research Council has asked public prosecutors to investigate a genetic-diagnostic company that certified that a member of parliament did not have Roma or Jewish heritage.

DNA Blueprint for Fetus Built Using Tests of Parents[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Andrew Pollack, The New York TimesJune 6th, 2012Using only a blood sample from the pregnant woman and a saliva specimen from the father, researchers explain that “Our capacity to generate data is outstripping our ability to interpret it in ways that are useful to physicians and patients.”

German Doctors Apologize for Holocaust Horrorsby Art Caplan, MSNBCMay 24th, 2012The German Medical Association has issued a remarkably blunt and straightforward apology, more than six decades after the end of World War II, for the role it played during the Holocaust.

NC Bill Supports Compensation for Eugenics Victimsby Martha Wagooner, New ObserverMay 16th, 2012Victims of North Carolina's decades-long forced sterilization program would receive $50,000 each under a bill filed Wednesday that would make the state the first to compensate people who lost their child-bearing abilities under the once-common practice.

The Life Penalty: Sterilizing Californiaby Kris Pickel, CBS SacramentoNovember 10th, 2011From 1909 to 1964, California laws not only allowed for, but also expanded, the practice of sterilization, where people were forced to undergo the procedure for a wide range of reasons.

X-Men Recharge: People in the Margin or Powers on a Pedestal?by Brendan Parent, Biopolitical TimesJune 22nd, 2011Last week's release of 'X-Men: First Class" may be cause for questioning the whole premise of the X-Men series: Would people marked by genetic advantages actually experience group discrimination?

Dreams of the Weekby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 18th, 2011Several recent announcements and studies appear to presage renewed interest in manipulating the biology that is thought to control longevity and especially our children's happiness and intelligence.

One Step Closer to Designer BabiesNew Noninvasive Prenatal Genetic Testing Could Change Human Pregnancy Foreverby Marcy Darnovsky, Science ProgressApril 22nd, 2011A new approach to testing the genes of early-stage fetuses could radically alter the experience of pregnancy and parenting from as early as five weeks, leading to a potentially dangerous moral quandary.

Bioethicists Show How to Disagree Without Rancorby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesApril 19th, 2011Excerpts of a conversation between Arthur Caplan and Robert P. George demonstrate the possibility of constructive discussions about difficult ethical issues.

Behind the New Arizona Abortion Ban by Marcy Darnovsky, Biopolitical TimesApril 7th, 2011The Arizona law that bans abortion for reasons of sex or race is part of a larger strategy to undermine abortion rights.